LONDON: Prime Minister Clement Attlee tonight [May 8] called a further meeting of India experts on the Cabinet with General Lord Ismay and his colleagues. … The general belief in political quarters is that the British Government’s silence is unlikely to be broken until after the Mission returns to New Delhi with the Cabinet’s reactions to the Viceroy’s report. At some early moment subsequently, the political world expects to learn whether Britain still reposes faith in the Cabinet Mission Plan or whether the principle of partition is now recognised as indispensable to the coming transfer of power. The India talks are proceeding according to plan — that is one round of the unremitting work by Lord Ismay and his colleagues.

…The negative results of the Gandhi-Jinnah meeting were not unexpected and therefore they have no effect upon the course of the London discussions which have in fact been initiated in expectation of the continuance of the deadlock. Cables from India consistently refer to the “Cabinet’s decision” on Lord Mount­batten’s recommendations for the solution of the Indian problem but, writes Globe’s diplomatic correspondent, it will be found the decision will rest with India herself.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2022